


Flames Burning in Your Fireplace

by heckinamanda



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: High School AU, M/M, Mild Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-20 09:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16552952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heckinamanda/pseuds/heckinamanda
Summary: TJ plans to tell Cyrus how he feels. Little does he know, his friend has something to tell him too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> me?? projecting into my fics??? almost always, yeah
> 
> anyways this is a high school au (I imagine that tj is already graduated but I didn't actually fit that in anywhere hshshs) so I put some small hcs in here!! like andi being into motocross when she's older
> 
> ALSO the title is from the song another story by the head and the heart. it's a really beautiful song please everyone go listen to it!!
> 
> ALSO ALSO this is the one (1) time I've ever written a fic and felt compelled to write a sequel so if anyone wants that,,, let me know

“Thanks,” TJ said, taking a warm mug of hot chocolate from Cyrus.

The latter joined him on the floor. “Anytime.”

TJ brought it closer to his face and inhaled the scent. The warmth was already doing wonders to calm his current nerves.

But of course, they didn’t get rid them completely. Because tonight, he’s going to tell Cyrus how he really feels about him. Nothing could fully stop the nerves that that brought.

He’d been thinking about telling him since… Well, since he’s liked him, which has been since middle school, and he’s eighteen now. He put it off for years because the timing never felt right, or he got too scared. Not that he’d admit that last part to anyone. But he’s actually going to do it this time, he’s sure of it. It’s just the two of them, alone in Cyrus’ house, hanging out like normal. He can do this.

He looked at the fire that they were sat in front of. “It’s not that cold out, you know.”

“Are you kidding me?” Cyrus gawked at him. “It’s freezing!”

TJ shrugged. “I walked all the way here and I’m fine.”

“Sure, Mr. I-Wear-Shorts-In-Snow,” he scoffed playfully. “You were shivering when I let you in.”

“Yeah, whatever.” TJ rolled his eyes while smiling fondly.

 _Is now the time?_ TJ wondered, _I haven’t been here for very long, but maybe I should just rip it off like a bandaid._

“How did the snow biking thing go?” Cyrus pulled him out of his thoughts. “Andi told me she won.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “For someone that just started motocross last year, she’s really good. I was close to winning though, I promise.”

“I’m sure you were,” Cyrus nudged him gently. “I wish I could’ve watched you guys.”

“Me too,” he said, maybe too genuinely. But he meant it. Cyrus came to all of his bike related events no matter the weather, but he had to miss their race a few days ago. He said he had some family stuff going on—which TJ totally understood—it was just unusual to cross the finish line and look to see a smiling Cyrus just to find nothing.

He caught Cyrus shake off a smile. “Did you all go to The Spoon afterwards?”

“Andi, Walker, and Buffy did,” he said. “Also Amber. You’d think after two years of working there she’d be tired of going in.”

“You can never be tired of baby taters,” Cyrus said. “What about you and Jonah?”

“Jonah wanted to buy a new frisbee for his next tournament,” TJ shrugged. “And I went home.”

“Why?” Cyrus asked.

TJ scrambled to find an excuse. He loves his friends a lot, but he only went home because Cyrus wasn’t there. “I uh—you know, I was tired and all—tired.”

“Oh,” Cyrus seemed disappointed. “We always go to The Spoon after you bike. It’s a tradition.”

TJ awkwardly scratched his neck. “ _We_ do.”

Cyrus’ disappointed frown turned upwards into a smirk. “Oh?”

“What?” TJ snorted. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Did you go home because I couldn’t come?” He took a sip of his hot chocolate.

TJ was blushing for sure, he could feel it on his face. Or maybe that was the fire in front of them, but he’s still pretty sure that he’s blushing.

He took an incredibly long swig of his drink. “Maybe.”

Cyrus nudged him again. For some reason it felt like they were sitting closer than before, their knees almost touching. If TJ wanted to, he could lean his head on Cyrus’ shoulder. And he did want to. But he couldn’t, at least not right now. Which is why he wants to tell him how he feels, so he can finally have thoughts like this without wondering what would happen if he actually pursued them.

He took in a breath. It’s time.

“Cyrus, I uh—I have something to—” he fumbled with his mug, resulting in it spilling over his hand. “Oh _Jesus._ ”

Cyrus quickly put down his own mug. “Oh my god! Are you okay?”

He winced. “Yeah I’m fine, it’s just uh, hot.”

“I’m gonna go get you a paper towel!” Cyrus bolted out of the living room.

So, he spilled hot chocolate on himself as he started telling Cyrus how he feels about him. Was that the universe telling him off?

 _The universe,_ he laughed. He’s been spending way too much time with Andi.

Cyrus came back into the living room, placing himself in front of TJ with a sheet of paper towels in hand.

“It’s fine, really. It was just a little—” He was cut off by Cyrus putting some of the paper towels over his hand and dabbing away.

“I just want to make sure,” he continued wiping the liquid off. “What were we talking about before this?”

“Oh uh,” TJ’s mood was kind of ruined. “It was nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

Cyrus was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and slightly parted lips. The fire was right behind him, giving him a glow that made him look even more beautiful than always, if that’s even possible. And the second that he stared at him like this, he realized Cyrus still had his hands over his.

Yeah, there was no way he was chickening out again.

“Actually, I do have something to tell you,” he said.

“Really?” Cyrus got excited. “I have something to tell you too.”

“Small world,” TJ laughed nervously.

Cyrus took his hands, as well as the paper towels, off of TJ’s hand. “You brought it up, you can go first.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay.”

He thought hard about his next sentence. How is he going to do this? He’s imagined telling him since middle school, over and over in his head in different ways. In the cafeteria, at The Spoon, during a basketball game, over shared muffins, even at the swings. But he was here. In Cyrus’ house, sitting right in front of him. And he has no idea how to—

“I got into Columbia!” Cyrus ripped him out of his thoughts. Pretty violently, in his opinion. “I know you were supposed to go first, but I couldn’t help myself. I got into Columbia University!”

That was not at all how he imagined this going. In any of his previous scenarios. At all.

“That’s… That’s amazing!” TJ pulled him in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Cyrus giggled.

He looked at the fire. It was so bright, orange flames dancing around each other. Little bits of ash fluttered about. It was wild, but contained in the fireplace. That’s how he feels right now, like an internal disaster.

This is an Ivy League school. Something Cyrus has wanted since… _Forever._ But it’s in New York.

As he was processing all this, he realized that Cyrus was smiling against his shoulder. He was so happy.

TJ can’t ruin this for him.

“So,” he slipped out of the hug. “Who else knows?”

“My parents,” Cyrus said. “That’s why I couldn’t come with you guys the other day. I opened the acceptance letter with them, then they wanted to go out and celebrate.”

“Oh,” _family stuff._ “The girls don’t know?”

“Not yet. Just my parents,” he gently shoved TJ’s knee. “And you.”

TJ smiled. “When are you gonna tell them?”

“I’m not sure yet. I know I want to tell them together, Jonah and Walker too, but I want to have a plan first,” Cyrus explained. “I feel like Buffy and Andi are gonna have a hard time.”

TJ swallowed thickly. _He’s_ having a hard time.

“I’m going the semester after I graduate,” Cyrus continued.

That’s next fall. Cyrus is going to leave for New York next fall. He’ll live there for four years, possibly his whole life if he falls in love with it. Or with _someone._

And TJ will still be here since he didn’t apply to any colleges from his ridiculous fear of rejection. And he’ll be doing the same stuff as always, but without Cyrus.

“Wow,” he exhaled. “Again, I’m—I’m super proud of you. This is incredible.”

He’s trying to hide his disappointment, but his words felt dry and emotionless in his ears.

“Thanks,” Cyrus didn’t seem to notice his problem. “Anyway, what were you going to say?”

TJ had a split second to think. He could lie his way out of this and think of some different lame excuse as always, letting Cyrus go off to college without any doubts like a good friend. Or he could tell him the truth, and live the coming year as a couple before Cyrus goes off to college and they try long distance and eventually fail. And that’s even if Cyrus even likes him back. If he tells him and it’s unrequited, it could put a wedge in their friendship, especially if Cyrus moves away in only a year. They could lose contact forever.

He looked behind Cyrus at the fire that seemed to be dwindling down. As he looked at it, he weighed out his options and made a decision.

 _I’m in love with you,_ he thought. But he just can’t say it.

He heaved a sigh. He’ll get it next time for sure. “I’m… Gonna buy a new bike.”


	2. I’ll Tell You One Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!! she's here!!!!!! thank you so much to everyone that left feedback on part one, it was so unexpected and so incredible, it genuinely means so much to me. I hope this part serves you just as well. <3
> 
> also the title for part two is from the same song and if you still haven't listened to it whAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING (reminder: the song is another story by the head and the heart)
> 
> also also I really adored writing both parts of this, and I really hope that shows in what I've created. <3

TJ rhythmically tapped on his steering wheel to whatever random song was playing on the radio, but he wasn’t actually listening.

“Okay…” he muttered to himself. “ _Okay._ ”

He looked back and forth between the clock and the doors of the airport. It was so close. They were so close to being together again, because Cyrus was coming home today.

He imagined this day since his friend left. In his head he was always waiting inside for Cyrus when he suddenly walked into the terminal, where they immediately ran to each other until they embraced, then TJ picked Cyrus up off of his feet, spinning him around and kissing his wonderful face.

But in reality he’s waiting outside in his car, anxiously looking at the door. It’s a bit less romantic in his opinion.

While lost in his thoughts, he didn’t even notice Cyrus until he tapped on the passenger window.

His face lit up like a Christmas tree but he didn’t try to hide it. “Cyrus!”

“TJ!” Cyrus exclaimed from outside the car. “Please let me in!”

“Oh, right.” He unlocked the doors.

Cyrus opened up the door and buckled himself into the passenger seat. “It is _so_ cold.”

“It’s not that co—”

“Don’t you dare say it,” Cyrus cut him off.

“I won’t,” TJ snorted. “How was your flight?”

“It was fine,” he rubbed his seat buckle. “Nothing of interest. I got stuck in a window seat this time.”

“Come on, window seats are the best,” TJ put his car in drive and started pulling out. “You literally get to see the world. I love them.”

“I know you do. And I can see why,” TJ saw the other boy shrug from his peripherals. “They’re nice. Looking out the window made me think of you.”

_Oh._

TJ decided to leave that one up in the air. There was no point in digging into it right now, he may have forever to do that.

He had kept his eyes on the road as they drove away, but all he could see in his mind was Cyrus. He wanted to look at him so bad, he hasn’t seen him since the last time he came down for summer break, and it’s November now. Plus, this time is different for them, this isn’t some holiday break. Cyrus is home for good, he’s done with that Ivy League whatever.

He dropped out, and TJ is going to take this situation for the better.

* * *

TJ plopped down on Cyrus’ couch. Or his parents couch, considering he doesn’t live here anymore. “How’d your parents take it?”

“Take what?”

“Y’know,” TJ gestured to his friend. “Dropping out.”

“Oh,” Cyrus looked down out his living room floor. “I haven’t told them yet.”

“You _what?_ ” TJ sputtered.

“I’m going to, I swear! I just…” he sighed. “Telling them is going to be hard. They were so proud of me for getting in.”

“You know they’re always going to be proud of you,” TJ said matter-of-factly.

“I know,” Cyrus looked at him. “But they’ll be disappointed too.”

TJ didn’t really know what to say, Cyrus just looked so sad. It reminded him of when he called him on Skype in September, flat out sobbing about how stressed he was. That was the night Cyrus told him that he was considering dropping out. He said he wasn’t passionate about it and that he didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “About everything.”

Cyrus laughed gently. “Don’t apologize. I’m the one who dropped out during the beginning of my third semester.”

“But you still did so much and you should be proud of it,” TJ nudged him. “I am.”

He didn’t look at Cyrus when he added the last part, instead focusing on the fireplace in front of them. It wasn’t lit like the last time they were alone together in this living room. _God,_ TJ remembered, _the day he told me he was leaving._

They were sat on the floor in front of the couch they were on now, drinking hot chocolate together. TJ almost told him the truth about his feelings that day. Almost.

And then that night, TJ slept over like he had many times before. But that time was different. He felt an emptiness in his stomach the whole time. He couldn’t sleep, his mind running wild, trying desperately to stop crying before Cyrus woke up and noticed.

“Thank you,” Cyrus cut into his recollection. “I just don’t know what to do now.”

“Well, you have time to think about it,” they smiled at each other. “And you have your friends to help.”

“I appreciate it,” Cyrus thought to himself for a second. “I really did like my courses. The psychology was interesting at times, mostly when I wrote about it though.”

“Wrote about it?” TJ echoed.

“Oh, yeah I uh… Wrote some stuff. Essays and all that,” he waited a moment. “And some other stuff in my free time.”

TJ grinned. “Like what?”

“Some original things,” he shrugged. “A few scripts for thrillers. I promise they’re a lot better than the ones I wrote in middle school.”

“Nothing could be better than that,” TJ snorted.

Cyrus shoved his shoulder with a laugh. “Shut up.”

“You got it,” he did a zipping motion over his mouth. “But seriously, when you start casting for your big Hollywood movies, give me a call.”

“What character do you want to play? Waiter that gets murdered off-screen?” Cyrus joked.

“Oh come on!” TJ laughed. “I can handle the role of attractive protagonist.”

“As if,” Cyrus mumbled with a smile, shoving his knee.

TJ couldn’t believe this. He’s sat in Cyrus’ family home with said boy, talking to him, and he didn’t have some existential dread about him leaving.

He spent everyday missing him when he was gone. He listened to some dumb heartbroken playlist that he made out of self-pity whenever he went to swing by himself. He was reminded of their first meeting every time he baked muffins for the kids at his work. And now the boy he missed so much is _here,_ and not for some summer break visit where he has to split his time between all of his friends and family.

He’s so happy. But at the same time, he felt guilty. Should he feel so good about this? This whole situation hurt Cyrus. Was it right to be glad that he’s home if he’s unhappy here?

“Cyrus…” TJ said quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Cyrus laughed at the random question, but frowned upon seeing TJ’s serious face. “Are you?”

_No._

“Are you really okay?” TJ ignored the question for himself. “With all of this?”

Cyrus quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“All of this,” he gestured to the room. “Being home. Dropping out. I’m… So insanely happy that you’re here, but I don’t want to be happy about it if you’re not.”

“TJ, I’m—” Cyrus stopped. He took a deep breath before moving closer to TJ. “I’m not happy that I dropped out, or that my parents are going to be upset for a while. But I wasn’t happy at Columbia at all. I’m happy here with my family and friends and you.”

Friends _and_ you. Huh.

“But what about New York? And your new friends?” TJ had no idea why he kept opening his mouth, but he couldn’t help it.

“New York is amazing,” Cyrus smiled. “And so are my friends there. But if Andi and Buffy—my _oldest_ friends—can handle a long distance friendship, so can they.”

TJ nodded slowly. Maybe he’s overthinking again. He just doesn’t want to encourage Cyrus to do something that’s gonna make him unhappy his whole life, like staying in some Midwestern town instead of New York, a place he’s fallen in love with.

“You’re positive? You’re good with just… Being back here?”

“For now, yeah,” Cyrus put his hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know where I’ll be in the next ten years, but for now, I’m here.”

“Yeah,” TJ nodded again, but happier than before. “You’re here.”

He turned his head away from Cyrus to look at the unlit fireplace again. He noticed a calendar sitting on the mantel above it.

“Dude, it’s been _exactly_ two years from when you told me about your acceptance letter.” He pointed to the calendar.

“What? It has?” Cyrus looked at it. “That’s… Weird. How did you remember that?”

TJ was blushing. _Jesus._ “I—you know—it was a random thing, one of those dates that just, you know, gets stuck. One of those things.”

“Right, just one of those things,” Cyrus smirked. “Like how you didn’t go to The Spoon when I couldn’t.”

TJ mirrored his smirk. “And how did _you_ remember _that?_ ”

Cyrus shrugged. “I pride myself on having a good memory.”

“Yeah right,” he pushed Cyrus’ hand with his own, then left it there.

He caught Cyrus looking at their hands for a moment before smiling slightly. It reminded TJ of the night before he left for New York. They were sitting next to each other, the rest of their friends piled onto the couch as well. But hidden away from all of them, Cyrus put his hand over TJ’s. They never spoke about it.

“Do you remember what I told you?” TJ carried the conversation on. “After you told me about the school?”

“You were gonna get a new bike,” Cyrus smiled smugly.

“Yeah,” _a regrettable financial investment that he made to further his white lie._ “I didn’t actually need to buy a new bike. That wasn’t what I was going to tell you.”

Cyrus looked confused. “What were you going to tell me?”

Over the past some-odd months of having a long distance friendship with Cyrus, they texted everyday, and video chatted almost every night. They talked on the phone for hours when they were both free. They even sent each other birthday gifts! Despite missing each other so much, they made it work. TJ knows that no matter where Cyrus is, _they_ are always going to work.

He couldn’t believe it, but it was time.

“I was going to tell you…” he cupped his hand around Cyrus’. “That I’m in love with you.”

He watched Cyrus’ eyes quickly search his face, as if he were waiting for him to say sike.

“I’m—” he practically choked on air. “I’m in love with you, too.”

TJ felt… Something. Not the feeling he expected, though. He always imagined that after a successful confession, there would be fireworks in his head and butterflies in his stomach and some gospel choir off in the distance. But in reality, it’s quiet. There isn’t a choir, just the distant sound of an old clock in the kitchen. There aren’t any fireworks or butterflies, just this quiet warmth in between them. Not tension, but comfort, like a dim fire concealed safely in a fireplace.

“I love you,” TJ laughed. He finally said it, and now he never wants to stop. “I love you, I love you, I love you!”

“I love you too, dork,” Cyrus giggled. “We just established that.”

He moved his hand up to Cyrus’ warm cheek. “I know. Can I tell you something else?”

Cyrus hummed. “Of course.”

“I want to kiss you. _Really_ badly.”

“That’s interesting,” Cyrus said nonchalantly, as if the both of them weren’t nervous right now. “I want to kiss you, too.”

“Small world,” TJ laughed.

“So, what’s stopping us?” Cyrus bumped TJ’s knee with his.

He shrugged. “Hmm. Nothing.”

“TJ, if you don’t kiss me—”

“I waited years for this, let me enjoy it,” TJ teased him.

“I promise I’ve waited just as long,” Cyrus said right before closing in the small gap between them.

Cue the fireworks, butterflies, gospel choir, and everything in between.

It tasted like the almonds they shared on the ride from the airport. It smelled like a mix of the cologne Cyrus got from his mom on his birthday and the body spray TJ has been using since middle school. It felt soft, warm, and familiar because it’s Cyrus, his best friend and his… Something.

This kiss was for all of the years he— _they_ —spent waiting. It was for everything they had done together and experienced together. It was for them.


End file.
